Third time's the charm

Obama visits Boulder for third time, addresses huge CU crowd

President Barack Obama’s third visit to the University of
Colorado this year opened with the energy he’s trying to carry through to the
polls on Election Day, Nov. 6.

“Are you fired
up? Are you ready to go?” he asked the 10,000 spectators upon taking the
podium. The Coors Event Center had reached capacity at 6:30 p.m. and the CU Boulder police had reported about 300 people in
line to get into the Center as early as 2:30 p.m.

Obama addressed the recent hard-hitting storm on the East
Coast, noting that the nation is never more united than during times of
trouble.

“The petty differences that consume us in normal times, they
all seem to melt away,” he said. “We saw it here in Colorado with the fires
this past summer, and then the terrible tragedy in Aurora. In moments like
these, we’re reminded that they are no Democrats or Republicans in moments of
crisis — just fellow Americans.”

In highlighting his campaign platform, he pointed out the
amount of progress the country has made since he took office.

“In 2008, we were in the middle of two wars and the worst
economic crisis since the Great Depression,” he said. “Today, because of the
resilience of the American people, our businesses have created over 5 million
new jobs.”

He was also careful to stress that despite how much the
country has grown in the past four years, the work is far from done. In his
speech that lasted a little under 40 minutes, he addressed his plans for the
country and how it differed from his opponent’s.

“As long as I’m president, I will never turn Medicare into a
voucher just to pay for another millionaire’s tax cut,” he said, according to a
tweet posted on his official Twitter account.

At one point in his speech, when Obama was talking about the
changes Gov. Mitt Romney wanted to make, a crowd member yelled, “chump
change,” sparking a chant in the crowd. The president was quick to respond by
saying, “Don’t boo­­. Vote.”

Congressman Jared Polis (D-Boulder) and Senators
Michael Bennett and Mark Udall spoke prior to the president’s appearance, followed
by a short and sweet surprise set from The Head and the Heart, an indie-folk
band from Washington. CU junior
Savannah Pulin introduced the president, mentioning her Colorado roots and the strong women in her family.

Boulder was the president’s final stop after events in
Wisconsin and Nevada on the same day.

With elections being only four days
away now, the presidential race continues to appear tight in Colorado with
polls showing Obama and Romney tied in the state. Romney’s latest rally at Red
Rocks Amphitheater after the third presidential debate in October also saw about
10,000 attendees.

Adelina Shee also created a Storify for Obama's speech, which can be viewed below or here.